Environmental Engineers pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $96,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $171,200 or more. The middle half of environmental engineers in San Jose earn between $99,980 and $152,950.
- $96K10th
- $100K25th
- $126KMedian
- $153K75th
- $171K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $130,260 | $10,855 | $62.62 |
| Median | $125,550 | $10,462 | $60.36 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $99,980 | $8,332 | $48.07 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $152,950 | $12,746 | $73.53 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Environmental Engineers salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $130,260, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $92,277 a year, or $7,690 a month and $3,549 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Jose a good place for environmental engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $130,260 buys what about $117,965 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 12.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Environmental Engineers salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 6th of 17 California metro areas for this job; Vallejo pays the most ($140,040).
- Vallejo$140,040
- Santa Rosa$138,740
- San Francisco$135,420
- Redding$134,930
- Sacramento$130,750
- San Jose$130,260
- Santa Cruz$126,480
- Stockton$124,800
- Los Angeles$124,760
- Salinas$122,350
Highest-paying cities for environmental engineers
Baton Rouge, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($144,100).
- Baton Rouge, LA$144,100
- Kennewick, WA$140,210
- Vallejo, CA$140,040
- Santa Rosa, CA$138,740
- Beaumont, TX$135,550
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Environmental Engineers salary in San Jose: questions
How much do environmental engineers make an hour in San Jose?
$62.63 an hour on average, and $60.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level environmental engineers salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $96,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $99,980, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the environmental engineers take-home pay in San Jose?
About $92,277 a year ($7,690 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $130,260. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do environmental engineers earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,265).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2081; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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